Bad Things
by asgardianqueen
Summary: Charlie meets a mysterious stranger in the park, only to find out that her world has been turned upside down. Eric/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

Sometimes, I wished my life was different. Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so normal. Growing up in a small town outside the country's capital wasn't all that exciting, and I wanted something to happen. Anything to happen! You know how people say 'Be careful what you wish for'? Well, something like that happened. It happened on the day that I wanted it most, when for sure I thought nothing out of the ordinary would ever happen to me.

It was a Sunday afternoon and I was in one of the many parks of Ottawa, reading a book. It wasn't just any book, but a book of one of my favorite series. _The Vampire Diaries. _Call me a freak, but I was a sucker for the bloodsuckers, and I had been since I was quite young. I wasn't your typical vampire wannabe though, because I wasn't a fan of the Twilight series, and I wasn't like most fans that knew the books were fake. Because I believed that somewhere, somehow; vampires had to exist. How else would all these authors come up with the idea of the dead coming back to life, with fangs, bloodlust, and good looks? Dracula had been a real person, and I believed that somewhere vampires still existed. Maybe not in Canada, but somewhere they had to exist. It only made sense, right?

I put my book down as I looked out at the people walking past my feet, and I realized it had grown dark quite fast. It was getting closer to fall when days would start to become shorter, and I could feel a breeze pick up. I wrapped my arms around myself as I looked up at the sky, not surprised to see that the clouds had grown dark. I picked my book up and got to my feet, wiping down my legs before I made my way towards the edge of the park, hoping to get home before the storm.

But with the luck I had, I was out of luck. Rain had just started to pour down on me and I frowned. This was lovely, now my hair was going to get frizzy. I tried not to worry about it but to be honest; I wasn't a big fan of the rain. It wasn't so bad when it was just a drizzle, but when it was in the middle of a storm, I most certainly hated it.

I forgot to mention; my name is Charlotte. Everyone calls me Charlie though and it makes sense; it's such a boyish name for a girl and well, I'm not the most girliest of girls. I hate wearing skirts almost as much as dresses and I would much prefer to watch the hockey game than to go out to the club. I'm twenty years old and I have deep blue eyes; my eyes are always the thing that people notice first when they meet me. My hair goes to about my shoulders and the color is chocolate brown, which I love. I'm quite thin judging by the fact that I'm five foot seven, and I would describe myself as a very creative person. I love to read and write, and I like to keep to myself sometimes, but like I said before, I would love a little adventure in my life. And that's just what I got on that rainy afternoon, but it wasn't how I was expecting it at all.

_Goddamnit._

Oh I forgot to mention; I curse, a lot. Maybe it's something I'm just used to but by the age of twelve, I was swearing like a sailor. It's another thing people notice about me, because a lot of girls my age wouldn't have the guts to say half the things I say out loud. That's also probably why my parents don't like to see me half the time, and why they never ask me to come to church anymore.

Even though I live in a small town I'm in the city quite often, and I don't plan on returning home tonight. My car is a cherry red SS charger, and I love Darla to bits. Yes, I even named my car. I get attached to a lot of the items I own quite easily and I can't help but give them names after a while. Besides, anyone that sees Darla adores her, and I can understand why. She's the most gorgeous car I've ever set my eyes on.

As I was stomping through the rain to find my car, I finally noticed it between the rain and my squinted eyes. I could tell that there was a figure standing close by even in the rain, and I groaned. I didn't want any trouble, and all I wanted to do was to get out of the rain. As soon as I crossed the street I made my way over to Darla and noticed that the man was indeed, standing directly in front of my car. It looked like he had been waiting for me and I eyed him suspiciously. I had never met this man in my entire life and yet as he looked at me he seemed pleased to see me.

"May I help you?" Even though I had attitude, I could show respect to someone that seemed like they could overpower me. The man was at least six foot four in height, and he had the build of a Viking. His hair was medium length but was slicked back, and had a nice blonde color to it. His eyes were piercing blue just like mine, and I tried to hide a smirk as I realized I had at least one thing in common with the stranger.

"Charlie, isn't it?" He asked, putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket. That was also another thing; he was wearing a light grey suit in the middle of the summer. Not only that but it was raining and I could tell that he didn't like getting it wet, but what could he do? I was shocked to know that he knew my name and I nodded meekly; getting shy for the first time in my life.

The man stepped closer to me and he held out his hand, like we were business partners. "My name is Eric Northman, and I came here to retrieve you. You must come with me."

I was sure he hadn't expected what I did next, but I couldn't help but burst into giggles. He was so formal and it was just the strangest thing to see a man hold out his hand to me. He must have been around twenty-five or so, but he acted like he had been around for a century. I never clued in to what he really was because the idea of vampire was far from my mind.

Eric just looked at me strangely, and for a second I thought I saw irritation. I settled myself down again and cleared my throat, wondering if he was upset.

"Um no offence or anything, but I have no idea who you are. What makes you think that I'm going to listen to you? You could be some killer." Maybe I was being dramatic but it was true; I didn't know this guy and even though it seemed like he knew me, I knew we had never met before.

He shook his head in irritation and for a second I could sense a glare. "I don't have time for this, Charlie! You either come with me or I force you. You're in danger, and we need to get you out of the country."

Wait, hold on a second. I was in danger? And I had to get out of the country?

"No way! I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving the city, much less my own damn country!" Now I was pissed, because he was acting like he knew something that I didn't. Which was probably the case anyways, but I chose to ignore that.

"Just…let me get into your car and I'll explain everything. Please?" I knew he had forced himself to say that last word and I sighed, finally giving in. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was saying yes to him.

What had I gotten myself into?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, turning to look at the man in my passenger seat. I had no idea why I had agreed to this crazy scheme but here I was, letting a complete stranger ride in my car while we attempted to go across the border. Maybe the reason why I felt safe was because this man was **very **attractive, but I didn't think I should base my instincts off of that. Looks could be very deceiving and in all honesty, I was sure that if he wanted to, he could overpower me. After all, he was almost a foot taller than me.

"It's a town called Shreveport. It's in Louisiana." Eric said softly, and I cocked my eyebrows at him. I was still unsure why we had to go to the United States of all places, but he had said I was in danger. I took that as a reason to listen to him, even though I had only met him ten minutes ago.

"Louisiana?" I said the word like it was poison, and I watched as Eric glared at me. "No offence, but isn't that one of the poorest states of America? Why would you want to go there?" I honestly wanted to know, and I had no idea how long we would be driving for, so I might as well start up a conversation with him.

Eric nodded, so I guessed that meant I had assumed right. "Because that is where my business is, and that's where you will be staying until we find a more…permanent residence." He said it as if I was going to do what I was told, and I wondered again to myself why I was so important. It didn't seem like I was of importance to anyone but when Eric looked at me it was like I was a prized possession or something. I didn't want to be anyone's property but it seemed like this was where it was headed, and I didn't like it.

"We'll stop in Toronto, where we'll be flying for the rest of the way." Eric said, folding his arms over his chest. See, because he didn't know me he assumed that flying wouldn't be that big of a deal. But this is Charlie Simmons you're talking to and no way in Hell was I getting on a plane. I was terrified of them and I always have been, and if he tried to force me onto a plane I was sure I would either scream or pass out; either way I would cause a scene.

"A plane? You're nuts! You're fucking nuts! I can't get on a plane, it's too….high. And they crash, you know!" I turned to glare at Eric now, and he looked amused by how I was handling this. Did he already know about my fear of flying? "You can't possibly expect me to come quiet and just board this plane, do you? How much do you know about me?"

"I know you overreact a lot and you're stubborn, and I also happen to know that you hate flying. But it's the only way to travel, because if we drove all night day would eventually come, and….that wouldn't be good." Eric looked out the window as he spoke, and I instantly became suspicious.

"And what's wrong with daylight? I would prefer being able to see while I'm driving, you know." I gripped the steering wheel tightly; I was afraid that Eric was going to tell me something that would make me freak out. I was used to being put in these situations and Eric seemed like the type of guy that just sprung information on someone.

"Pull over." He instructed, nodding towards the side of the road. "And then I'll tell you."

I swallowed hard; if he didn't want me driving when he told me this then it was obviously something quite big, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle it. Wait a second, of course I could! I could handle anything and as I pulled over to the side I tried to remain as confident as I possibly could; mainly for the fact that I didn't want to start panicking. That wouldn't be good because I had to drive for the next three and a half hours.

The car stopped and the headlights went out, and we were now surrounded in darkness. I flicked the switch on the roof of the car so we would have a light to see, and I turned to look at Eric to ask what the big deal was. As soon as I turned and looked into those cool blue eyes of his I noticed what he was referring to, and surprisingly, I didn't even flinch.

There was a pair of fangs extended as he looked at me, and I could tell by the way he was watching me that he was hungry. To a regular person I'm sure the sight of a vampire would freak them out, maybe even cause them to try and escape, but not me. To me, this was an answer to all the times I had wished so badly for something like this to exist.

"You're a vampire." I said quite calmly, crossing my arms over my chest. Maybe I was a bit agitated but I was more excited than anything else. This was a real life vampire, and he was sitting with me right here in the car! But the real question was, what did a vampire want with me? And why did he want to protect me so bad?

I could tell that Eric was surprised that I wasn't frightened or taken aback, and he sighed to himself. "I guess I should have seen that coming; when I looked you up I found out that you were an avid reader, and you preferred vampire stories. I wasn't sure if you really believed they existed or not."

I nodded. "This is shocking, believe me, it is. But…I'm not scared. I'm just glad that I was right, that something like you really existed. You have no idea how badly I wanted something like you to exist…" I trailed off, wondering if I sounded like a fanatic. I hoped I didn't, because I didn't believe I was a freak. "I just didn't want to keep living a regular life; I needed something like this to happen. And, it did." I grinned at him, unfolding my arms as I continued to stare at his fangs. It was fascinating how everything that I had hoped to be true had always been.

"That's not the only reason I had stopped the car. I'm…well, I need to feed." He said simply, eyeing me. Right now I was sure he expected me to freak out again, but I surprised him yet again.

I rolled up my sleeve and extended my wrist to him, and I nodded. "I'm sure it might hurt at first, but believe me, I've imagined something like this for as long as I can remember, so I'm not afraid of the pain. Is it true that if you don't struggle it can feel…pleasurable?" I asked him, my face turning red just a bit.

Eric gripped my wrist with both hands and he nodded, the tips of his fangs dragging along my skin. "Yes, that part is true. I'm glad the one I was looking for is so experienced with the world of vampires; otherwise I would have to explain a lot more to me. But you're smart."

I assumed that was a compliment but I didn't have time to reply as I felt his fangs sink into my skin and I gasped, feeling a sharp pang of pain, but it only lasted for a brief second. After that I could feel a numbing sensation and the pleasure ran through me like electricity, and I had to bite hard on my lip to stop a gasp from escaping my lips. I had assumed it would be pleasurable but I hadn't expected it to be **this **pleasurable, and I grinned as I watched him continue to drink from me.

I was small, so taking a lot of blood would make me weak, so I was glad when he stopped, licking his lips as he turned to look at me. He must have been satisfied to an extent because he handed me back my wrist and looked at me curiously, wondering if he had taken too much.

"I'm fine. Believe me, I've given blood before and this is nothing." I waved him off, but I could feel myself getting a tad bit tired and I struggled to keep my eyes open.

"I'll drive." He said, and before I could protest he picked me up and put me down in the passenger seat as he moved around to the driver's position. I was going to say something else to him but I could feel myself drifting off, and in a matter of seconds, I passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

When I woke up I had no idea where I was. But once I had adjusted to the lights and sounds, I realized that we were inside an airport. I squinted in the harsh light as I sat up, realizing that I had been slouched over in a chair for however long we had been here. The question was, how had Eric managed to take me inside without people asking questions?

I noticed that I was alone and I looked down to realize that there were no bags with me either. How was I supposed to get into a plane without a passport or some form of I.D? I didn't even own a passport and I was sure there would be no time to get one now. Shipping usually took about a week for one and I knew that Eric and I didn't have that kind of time.

My thoughts were interrupted as a figure stood in front of me, and I cocked my head upwards to notice Eric staring down at me. Damn, I was never going to get used to the fact that someone towered over me. Where I came from there sure were a lot of guys, and a lot of guys that were tall, but none as tall as Eric. Maybe he was supposed to be intimidating but the blonde vampire didn't scare me in the least, and I wondered if he was trying on purpose.

He tossed me something into my lap and I looked down to notice a brand new passport and an I.D. card. How had he managed these?

"Don't ask questions, just get up and follow me."

_Eric sure liked to boss people around_, I thought to myself as I stood up, rubbing the back of my head. It was pounding and all these artificial lights weren't making the headache any better.

I shoved the items into my jacket pocket as I picked up my pace, hurrying to keep up with him. He had a long stride and being what he was made me struggle to keep up with him, and I glared at his back as I continued to follow him. When he stopped I almost ran into his chest but I stopped at the last second and tried to peer around him, wondering why we had stopped. I looked at the lineup in front of us; full of people that were waiting to board the plane, and when I was about to ask a question I watched as Eric turned a corner, and I groaned, picking up my feet again as I followed him. When I turned the corner all I could find was a door and I frowned, wondering why we would be going in this direction anyhow.

I turned the knob on the door and swung it open, and I was surprised at what I saw.

There was a line of at least ten airplanes lined up in this room, and I noticed that the far wall was open; revealing the sky outside. I turned to notice Eric had been waiting impatiently for me and he nodded towards the first plane. I turned my head to inspect it when I noticed an arrangement of coffins, all lined up beside each other. I swallowed hard.

"The airport knows about vampires?" I asked, wondering why I hadn't suspected this before. Of course we wouldn't be able to go on a regular plane because by the time we landed, it would be daytime and Eric wouldn't be able to get off the plane without being noticed.

"Certain departments take care of these sorts of things, but not many airports know our secret. It's kept only with the major airplane stations." Eric explained, unfolding his arms from his chest. He stepped towards the plane that he had nodded towards before and ran his fingers along one of the coffins, looking back at the stairs that led to the inside of the plane.

"You must go. Show them your I.D. and tell them you're with Eric Northman. They know who I am and they've been expecting me." He pushed the small of my back as he motioned me forward and I clenched my hands into fists. I was supposed to go onto this plane alone? That meant I wouldn't be able to talk to Eric while I was on the plane, and I wasn't sure if I could handle it. He knew what a phobia was, didn't he? I would be panicking the whole way and I hoped to God that this plane ride didn't last too long. I don't think my poor heart could take it.

"Thanks a lot, Eric…" I mumbled to myself as I boarded the plane, and I looked around to notice that it wasn't like your typical airplane. This one was definitely private and I noticed a few people sitting up near the front. I sighed a breath of relief; at least I wouldn't be completely alone on the flight.

It had been nearly an hour and I was a little bit more relaxed. I kept glancing over at the coffins near the back, wondering which one was Eric's; they all looked the same to me. The few people that were on the plane as well were varied; one happened to be a politician who was in favor of vampire rights, one was the girlfriend of another vamp, and I wasn't sure who the third one was. I didn't trust them because I didn't know them, and I wasn't big on trust anyhow. Once someone gained my trust then I would have a reason to even speak to them. A few of them had tried to start conversation but I was too worried about Eric to even respond properly. I don't know why I was worried in the first place; it's not like anything bad was going to happen.

"How long until we get off this thing?" I asked, wondering if any of them knew the answer.

The politician turned to look at me and he sighed. _Doesn't she know what's going to happen?_

"Happen? What do you mean, happen?" I asked, wondering why the man wasn't looking at me. He looked at me and his eyes widened, and he cleared his throat a few times.

_Is she reading my mind? She isn't like that other one, is she? _

"What other one? What are you talking about?" But I could tell by the stares that something was wrong, and I soon realized that the man hadn't even spoken. He had been **thinking **about it. I swallowed hard as I tried to come to terms with what had just happened, and I brushed the sides of my jacket, trying to calm myself down.

_Something bad is going to happen and I have no idea what it is! _I thought to myself, turning to look back at the coffins. So I hadn't been wrong when I had a bad feeling about these people, and my stomach continued to knot as I tried to keep a straight face, though I knew the rest of the passengers were now staring at me.

And that's when the first bomb went off.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't such a good idea to bomb a plane when one of the passengers just happened to be terrified of flying. Because the main reason I hated the idea of flying was simply due to the fact that they _crash_. And as soon as I heard the explosion I panicked, frozen in fear. If this were anyone else they would find a way to get off the plane and hopefully jump to a safe landing once the plane was close enough to ground. The odds of surviving a plane crash were slim, and I knew that once the plane started tilting towards the ground, I was going to die.

Well rather, I _thought_ I was going to die. I could feel cold arms wrap around me and I looked up to notice that Eric had gotten out of his coffin. I was so glad the sun was just setting now or otherwise I'm sure Eric never would have woken up. And he was the main reason I was on this plane right now so if he died, I would have no idea what to do with myself.

He directed me towards the back of the plane where he found the emergency exit, and without hesitation, tore open the door. I was surprised at the strength he had but was also glad because I truly didn't want to die. I had thought I would make it to at least thirty. I clutched to his arm tightly and as he held me close to his chest, he jumped.

No, I am not kidding. Eric_ jumped_ out of a crashing plane that must have been thousands of feet in the air. I wanted to scream but found I couldn't, so all I did was cling to him for dear life. Minutes passed when I realized that we weren't falling, but we were flying. I crinkled up my nose in confusion.

"Since when do vampires fly?" I asked, wondering if this was a good idea to speak. I looked around me and noticed we were getting close to land, and I was glad that after all that, the people had decided to bomb the plane close to our destination. "Is that where we're headed?"

Eric nodded. "Bon Temps, yes. And as for the flying comment…. some vampires can. We each have our gifts, I suppose." He shrugged it off, and I closed my eyes. I had forgotten how high we were and even though Eric could fly, I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Which was none, by the way.

I could hear his feet touch the ground and he let me go, allowing me to stand on my own two feet. We were on gravel road and were surrounded by trees, but in the distance I could see lights. It must have been a restaurant or a bar and I realized that Eric wanted us to go in this direction. It didn't matter to me since I had no idea where anything was anyways, so I followed.

"You didn't get a chance to explain why you needed me here. Or why I'm in danger." I wanted to have a regular conversation with him if that were possible, and I looked up at him, hoping he would at least attempt to have a conversation. Vampires could be so antisocial, I realized.

"You're here because you're a distant relative of Sookie Stackhouse. She has a gift that not many people know about; an ability where she can read minds. And we're going to figure out if you have that gift too." Eric said simply, his voice cold. I wondered if he ever had any expression at all.

A day ago I would have accused him of being insane, but ever since the plane crash, I could already tell him the answer. "I do….have that ability, I mean. I had never experienced it before but on the plane I could…hear what the other passengers were thinking. I only knew a second before the bomb went off." If only I had been able to find out earlier then maybe I could have stopped it. Though that was _very_ unlikely.

Eric turned to me in interest, his brows furrowed. I could tell he was deep in thought so instead of saying something I just walked on in silence.

"You're more like your cousin than I thought." He replied after minutes of walking.

I turned back to look at him and scoffed. "Cousin? Listen Eric, I know who my family are and I know for a fact that I have no American relatives. I've asked the question before; I think I would remember something like that."

"You wouldn't know about your true family because you were adopted. Your parents are not your true parents." He said that as if it was the most normal thing in the world to tell a person, and I froze.

"You're lying." That's all I could come up with. Because when he said I was adopted, it had made sense. I looked nothing like my parents or my siblings, and I had always seemed out of place whenever family got together. I found I had nothing in common with any of them, and now that I had this 'ability', I was sure that what Eric was speaking was nothing but the truth.

"I am not. You can ask Sookie yourself if you want to. She has proof." After he said that he looked up and I realized we were in front of what I now knew was a bar. It was called _Merlotte's_. Hm, that must have been the owner's name.

Eric began to walk towards the bar and I stopped, wondering what he was doing. "We're going inside? In there?" I wasn't sure why I was so skeptical about the whole situation, but it wasn't what you would call a _normal _situation. I mean, a vampire shows up out of nowhere and tells you that you're in danger, and then you find out you're adopted. It's ridiculous, isn't it?

"Sookie works here. I was going to inform her that you have arrived. Her shift ends soon." He said simply, and I watched him disappear inside the bar. For some reason, I was super nervous about meeting my cousin. I mean, I had found out minutes ago that we were related and now I had no idea what to expect.

So I just stood there, waiting for Eric to return.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

I felt like I had been standing there for hours. Well, maybe I was. I don't think I would have noticed it, nor either cared. I was still in shock from what had just happened, and I was still unsure if I believed Eric or not. I mean, adopted? Was I really supposed to buy it? Maybe it was true and maybe Eric knew what he was talking about, but that didn't mean I trusted him either way. I mean, he was a _vampire_. Something I had hoped to believe was true, but had no evidence of either way. Though I did have evidence of what Eric was because I had seen him _flying_, and I could see his _fangs _when he had nearly killed the people who had planted the bomb. I knew he was pissed and I was trying not to think about it, because I knew an angry vampire was never a _good_ vampire.

I finally heard footsteps and turned my head, watching as I saw Eric walk back out of Merlotte's with a pretty blonde, who was probably in her mid-twenties. And this was supposed to be my cousin?

Sookie was about five foot five, so she wasn't short by any means; I was only about two inches taller than her. She had quite a handful of hair but it was tied up in a ponytail, and I noticed that it wasn't dyed either. She had piercing blue eyes and a curvy figure, yet she was still thin enough to be considered _beautiful_. I had to admit; Sookie was a stunner. I suddenly felt inadequate standing beside her and I frowned, folding my arms over my chest. Was Eric finally going to explain what happened, and how I had gotten myself into this situation? I mean, I was _adopted_.

I cleared my throat and nearly glared at Eric, and he knew what I was thinking. I demanded he tell me what this was all about and I was _not _going to leave until I was completely satisfied with what I got. But before I could say anything else to Eric I was taken aback by a tight hug from Sookie and I nearly shocked, looking at her in utter disbelief.

"Oh thank Heavens you're safe, darlin'. I thought something _awful _must have happened, after I heard about the plane crash." I watched Sookie's mouth move but was still unaware of the words coming out of her mouth, and I shook my head in confusion.

"I uh…" I was speechless to say the least and I looked to Eric for support but before he could offer me any words of advice, I felt myself growing light-headed and my eyes slowly shut, and before I knew what was happening I passed out.

It felt like hours before I finally woke up and I blinked, looking up at the people staring down at me. I was glad it was still only Eric and Sookie because I don't think I would have been able to handle a crowd, much less want to. When they noticed I was awake Sookie helped me sit up against the sofa I was now lying on, and I looked around the room.

"It's my place. Eric's says you'll be staying here for the time being. Not that I mind of course, you're my…cousin." She hesitated when I looked up at her and dared to say what she was thinking and when she said that damn awful word, I felt myself boil up with anger.

"Why on Earth do you _care _so much? You don't even know me! And how on Earth do you know that I'm even your cousin?" My hands tightened into fists as I looked at her accusingly and back at Eric, trying to keep the hot tears from streaming down my face. I wasn't doing such a great job; I was always one of the most emotional people you would ever meet.

"I mean, I do appreciate this, I do. It's just… I don't know you. And I met Eric a _day _ago and he claims to know more about me than I do. Now what exactly am I supposed to do with that?" Of course when Sookie spoke I could hear her accent clearly but around these parts, I was the one that was different. So when she smiled at the sound of my accent I narrowed my eyes, not in the mood for laughter.

"We sure are different, honey. But I think we're also a lot alike in a lot of ways. And to answer your question, yes. I do know you're my cousin because I remember when you were born. I was nearly eight years old and even though that was some time ago, I never forgot how happy Gran had been when you were born. Jason always said I was her favorite, but… I'm sure if you had been around too she would have loved you just as much." I watched as Sookie inhaled slowly and swallowed, noticing she was trying to hold back her emotions as well. Even though I had never known 'our' Gran, I still felt bad for her. And felt sorry for myself that I had missed out on everything that was now considered _my _family.

"Look, I'm sorry too, okay? I know things are a bit crazy now and you probably don't want me to be a burden to you, but I promise I can help out around the house. I mean, I obviously don't have a job but it never took much effort for me in finding one. Besides, I think moving to a new place would be a fresh start for me. Even though it is a bit of a dump." I found myself smiling for some unknown reason and I shrugged my shoulders.

Looking up I realized that Eric had left and I rolled my eyes.

"Is he always like that? Disappearing on people?"

Sookie nodded, chuckling to herself. "Yes, but you'll get used to it. Now let me show you where your new room is."

I now noticed that I had no things to bring up to the room and I frowned; I would have to buy a whole new wardrobe and I was glad I had managed to still bring my cell phone with me. I nodded, standing up slowly as I followed Sookie to the stairs, trying to welcome myself into my new home.

* * *

For October, it was pretty warm and I groaned in my sleep as I tossed the covers off, finally opening up my eyes. I looked at the vintage alarm clock and realized that it was almost noon and my eyes widened.

_Shit. I hope Sookie is still around._

I didn't want to have to fend for myself in her kitchen while she was at work, so I quickly put on a pair of jean shorts and a top that Sookie had lent me and headed down the stairs, stomping down into the kitchen.

It was a homey sort of feeling to the place and I realized I was smiling. Even though I had been through a near-death experience, I found that things were looking up. I had a new life! And possibly a better one if things played out like they were supposed to.

"Sookie?" I called out, hoping that my cousin was around. When I heard no answer I sighed to myself and looked down at the kitchen table, noticing there was a messy note, like it was written in a hurry.

_Charlie, I went to pick up a few things for food and hopefully later we can pick up some clothes for you. I only work till nine tonight so I believe there will still be time for us to get to know each other. Hope you can find your way around the place._

_- Sookie_

I read the note quickly and frowned, realizing that I would in fact have to look around the house by myself. I was glad I at least had a pair of decent looking clothes to wear right now, but my thoughts were interrupted when a knock was sounded at the door. I jumped nearly a foot in the air and cursed to myself, telling myself that I got to quit being so jumpy.

"Sookie? It's Alcide, open up." I heard a loud booming voice say and I shivered, wondering if I should open the door. Was this person a friend or a foe? Well, there was only one way to find out.

I swung open the door with confidence and looked up at the man in front of me. Jesus Christ, this man was bigger than Eric, if that were even _possible_. But I wasn't afraid of anyone without a reason to be and I folded my arms in determination, keeping the eye contact with this new stranger.

"And who might you be?" I nearly demanded, my blue eyes narrowing up at him. It seemed the man didn't know what to say at first but a few seconds passed and he broke out into a laugh, picking me up in his arms. I nearly screamed as I realized what he was doing and I demanded he let me down; wondering where on Earth this kind of reaction had come from.

"I'm sorry. It's just; I didn't think you would be here so soon. You're Charlie, aren't you? Sookie's cousin?"

"Oh. You know who I am? Dear God, how many people did that woman tell? It was bad enough that Eric-"

"Eric? Eric Northman?" Alcide asked, jumping into defensive mode. I chuckled at his reaction and nodded, wondering if Alcide had some sort of beef with the vampire.

"Um, yeah. He was the one that found me and picked me up…" I knew that this wasn't going to sit well with Alcide and I was right as I heard him growl, almost like a wolf.

Before he could say anything else, I allowed him to come inside, shutting the door. Even though there were no houses around I still didn't trust that there wouldn't be other people nosing around, so I wanted to give the two of us some privacy.

"You shouldn't trust Eric. From what I heard, he nearly got you killed!" Alcide grumbled, stepping into the kitchen as he turned away from me. Apparently this man knew more about Sookie's house than I did. How many men _had _Sookie slept with?

I brushed the dark bangs from my face and shrugged. "I don't trust him. But I'm not afraid of him either. Even though I have literally _just _found out about all these supernatural creatures doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two about them. In fact, I know quite a bit about vampires and the whole lot of them. It's kind of a hobby of mine." I nodded proudly, wondering if Alcide even knew that Eric was a vampire. My guess was yes.

He nodded, a bit more calm than he had before, and sat down at the kitchen table, fiddling with his thumbs. "Yes, Sookie told me about that. It seems she did a lot of research about you before…well, before rescuing you."

_Rescuing me?_ Well, I don't think I would put it like that.

"So what, if she didn't like what she saw then what? She wouldn't have attempted to find me?"

Alcide shook his head, chuckling a bit at my accusation. "No, sweetheart. She just wanted to know a bit about you before taking you into her home. Some people are freaks, you know."

I felt myself blush when he called me sweetheart but I shook my head out of that stupor, wondering why he thought he could even call me that. "She hangs out with vampires, for Christ's sake. What could be more freakish than that?"

But I knew I was being a hypocrite. Because in fact, the idea of vampires fascinated me. So did witches, werewolves, and anything else that was put under the category of supernatural. I couldn't help it; things that seemed impossible and extraordinary were just something of interest to me. And I could tell that Alcide was staring now because I wasn't answering his question I had just missed.

"Sorry, I just… wait, why are you even here?" I looked back up at him and frowned, heading towards the refrigerator. The only drinks I could find inside were beer and Coke, so I offered Alcide a beer. I hated beer and I would be glad if he drank it anyways. Sookie didn't seem like a beer drinker either.

I watched as Alcide froze up at the question but accepted the beer anyways, shaking his head. "It's just…Eric can't be out in the daylight, so she asked me to…watch out for you during the daytime."

Okay, now _that _struck an emotion in me.

"So what, you're like my fucking babysitter or something? I don't need protection, Alcide. I survived a plane crash, which by the way was _fucking insane_ because I am terrified of planes to begin with!" I knew my temper was showing and I frowned, trying to calm myself down. "I'm sorry; I just don't feel the need for protection. At all."

"I'm sure you can protect yourself, believe me. But Bon Temps…is more strange than normal these days, and there are things that are real that you have probably never even met. Or I'm sure you have met but had no idea what they were." Alcide explained, hoping I wouldn't snap at him again.

Oh. Well this was fantastic. I was merely a target for anything that wanted to kill or eat me, and judging by the way Eric had talked about Sookie yesterday; she seemed to be a favorite of theirs. Which meant so was I.

"Okay, so…what do we do then?"

I had a feeling I was in for one hell of a lecture.


End file.
